We know that Stephen Curry is the best shooter of all time. But his long-distance shot is not the only string to his bow and the Golden State leader has a lot of secret weapons to make his opponents bite the dust. A Lakers player would have been seriously injured because of one of them.
When you face the Warriors, it is better not to be sent on defense on the point guards. It does indeed involve going up against Stephen Curry… and that usually amounts to a very long evening. We’re talking about a potential all-time Top 10 player, capable of making three-point shots and finishing in the rim. And yet, this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Because no, the Chef’s talent is obviously not limited only to his fiery wrist. An excellent dribbler and passer, the No. 30 is above all a marathon runner, who constantly wanders between the screens in order to obtain a good position to shoot. Often drowned on a mission on him during the last playoffs, Laker Jarred Vanderbilt remembers it very well since he left feathers there, as he recently said:
Steph Curry, a nightmare to follow on defense
"Ran like 3 miles [in Game 2 of the 2023 Playoffs vs. Warriors]… I actually got hurt in the 2nd game… Steph [Curry] just nonstop moving… It’s a tough task being the guy that has to chase somebody around.”
—Jarred Vanderbilt
(via "Run Your Race", @TidalLeague) pic.twitter.com/e8W96LlbMT
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 19, 2023
I covered almost 5 kilometers (in Game 2 in the second round against the Warriors, editor’s note), chasing Steph. Obviously in the first game I did a good job. In the second game I got injured, I think Moses Moody fell on my leg. But I still had to pursue Steph. Steph keeps moving… It’s a difficult task. People don’t realize that it’s a difficult task to be the guy who has to chase someone like him.
Indeed, Vanderbilt can boast of having had quite a bit of success against Baby Face, especially in the first game of the conference semi-finals. During this meeting, Curry had in fact finished 2/10 in shooting against him and the big man had contested more than 90% of his shots in the victory for the Purples and Golds. Clearly his defense on the double MVP during this series is one to show in all schools.
Jarred Vanderbilt locking down Steph Curry 🔒 pic.twitter.com/USHj9agFnS
— The Lakers Chip (@Lakerschipp) September 15, 2023
Being able to track opposing shooters between screens for an entire game is the mark of an elite defender. Especially when the opponent in question is none other than Stephen Curry… Jarred Vanderbilt ended up on the knees from dealing with the Chief, but he can be proud of what he accomplished.
